Bleed, cont
by drakangrl9
Summary: Continuation of Indra-and-Khali's Bleed story. Rated T for safety
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

**(which is really chapter 2)**

Will sat in her cell. Despite the fact that she may very well die soon, she was actually starting to get bored. God, this is so annoying, she thought, tossing a pebble against the wall. Suddenly she heard something outside the cell. She looked up, and yelped when she saw it was none other than Cedric.

"Why are you here?" Will asked, trying to keep her voice level and so far failing miserably. Cedric smirked at her fear. Stupid snake, Will thought darkly despite the circumstances.

"You have an audience with the prince, dear Guardian," Cedric smiled. Ooh, I so wish the others were here, Will thought glumly. She didn't notice the open cell door until Cedric grabbed her and hauled her out, the redhead protesting mightily. The shape-shifter had dragged her out of the Infinite City before she even considered putting her feet under her. When she did, she didn't see any point in trying to walk, since Cedric seemed more than capable of dragging her the whole way. This time, as they went through the town, not a soul was in the street. However, Will did on more than one occasion catch a glimpse of eyes peering at her from behind closed shutters. She wasn't sure if this was better or worse than last time. On some funny impulse, Will began to dig her heels into the ground. She managed to gain a little bit of leeway before Cedric tightened his hold, gripping her painfully hard. Will yelped as she felt his claws dig into the soft skin on the upper half of her arm.

"No tricks," he hissed in her ear. Will suppressed a shudder. She didn't know which was worse, Cedric dragging her through the streets. Or not knowing what was going to happen to her once they reached the castle. The redhead didn't have long to worry. Though she had expected a group of guards, Cedric himself took Will to the throne room.

"Hello, Guardian," Phobos said in a perfectly conversational tone. To Cedric he asked, "No trouble, I trust?"

"Very little," Cedric answered with a withering glare in Will's direction. That gave her some satisfaction, at least.

"Still haven't given up?" Phobos asked her, amusement edging his voice.

"No, and if you expect me to, you're going to be sorely disappointed," Will growled. Suddenly there was a bright pink flash as something very much resembling a comet with a place to be shot into the throne room and headed straight for Will. She yelled when the thing slammed into her, knocking her out of Cedric's grip. Will was dizzy for a second. When she was able to focus, she realized with a start that she was in her Guardian form! Somehow the Heart of Candracar had found her here. Unfortunately, before she could use her wings, Cedric whipped his tail forward and wrapped it around her waist and forearms, rendering her pretty much helpless.

"I was wondering when that would happen," Phobos said.

"What? Wait, you knew that would happen?" Will said, still a little disoriented. Her head swam as Cedric dragged her forward so she was only about a yard away from Phobos.

"You still don't fully understand the Heart. If it senses that the Keeper is in danger, it will sometimes go to them on its own," the prince answered, coming to stand directly in front of her. Will felt her stomach swirl with him standing so close. She managed to keep a cool air, but inside she was aware of her fear growing in increments.

"The Heart's protection is the reason I had Cedric bring you here in the first place," Phobos continued, a dangerous smile touching the edges of his mouth. Will felt her stomach drop to her feet. She had the feeling she knew where this was headed.

"If you think even for a second that I'll give you the Heart, you are highly mistaken," Will said, struggling to keep her voice even. Phobos's smile widened at that.

"I know you wouldn't." His voice softened ever so slightly. "I'm going to take it from you."

Will's eyes widened slightly. Her fear reared its head like a terrified horse.

"You...you can't," she said breathlessly. "I have to give it to you."

Phobos really did smile then, and it made Will seriously consider trying one more time to break free. She already knew that would be useless. Cedric was holding her way too tightly.

"There is a spell that will force you to give up the Heart," Phobos continued. "Whether it goes quickly or slowly is up to you."

Will, going against what her voice of reason was telling her, started to ease her arms slowly upward, hoping to be able to jump free should the shape-shifter's coils provide some slack. No such luck. The red-head winced when Cedric tightened his hold on her, causing a strand of her hair to fall into her face. Phobos gently tucked her stray locks behind her ear, surprising Will slightly. The prince's fingertips rested lightly on the back of her jawbone for a moment, then traced a vein in her neck until they came to rest just above her heart. Then the pain started. Will grit her teeth at first, then cried out as the pain deepened. It felt as though someone was driving a knife into her chest and twisting, hard. She could feel the Heart in her, but the spell Phobos was using was causing the magic that bound it to her to weaken. With a start Will realized it was also causing her to weaken. She could feel her energy draining away, and withheld as much of it as she could. Suddenly Phobos drew his hand away. The pain vanished, and Will had to resist the urge to go completely limp, she was so exhausted.

"Take her back to the Infinite City. You know what to do," Phobos ordered Cedric. "Get back here as quickly as you can. I believe it would be to our benefit if you were here when the others arrive."

"Others?" Will managed to say. Phobos smirked.

"Guardian, don't you know? Your friends are on their way to save you. Unfortunately, they think you are being kept here, and are not prepared to fight the warriors I have waiting."

Will understood in a second. Her friends thought she was being held in the castle dungeon. Phobos had used that against them and set a trap.

"Leave them out of this," she said as fiercely as she could manage.

"Too late for that," the prince answered. At that point, Will was too weak to put up a fight as Cedric dragged her out of the throne room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

**(which is really chapter 3)**

"Where the heck could she be?" Cornelia muttered. The other Guardians had been flying around the dungeons for nearly an hour, and there was still no sign of Will.

"Missing something?" came an all too familiar hiss. Suddenly Hay Lin screamed as Cedric knocked her to the ground.

"Get out! Now! It's a trap!" Caleb yelled. Too late they noticed the guards and lurdens lurking in the shadows. Quick as a wink, Irma swooped down and helped Hay Lin get back into the air. Cornelia managed to knock down a few lurdens with some roots. Then she heard Irma scream and turned just in time to see Cedric drag her down. The water Guardian retaliated by sending a giant wave of water at the shape shifter. Unfortunately, while it gave Irma time to get airborne, it left them with a very angry (and very wet) Cedric. Cornelia managed to tie him up with a few vines. He broke out of them in a minute, but that was just long enough. In that space of time, Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin had distracted the lurdens, grabbed Caleb, and he and the Guardians had flown out of the dungeon. Cedric growled. Phobos was not going to be pleased with this report.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

**(which is really chapter 4)**

Will's condition and mood were worsening by the hour. The spell, aside from weakening her hold on the Heart, was making her feel extremely sick. She'd fallen asleep about a minute after Cedric had put her in the cell. Or about as easily as you can sleep with your arms tied so you look like you're stretching in the morning by black vines that are somewhat thorny. If she shifted too far to either side, a thorn would dig into her arm. Needless to say, it wasn't very comfortable. Will heard a sound and opened an eye, barely. Both eyes opened fully when she saw that Phobos was in the cell. Oh, no. Please don't let them be caught. Please, no. She hoped her desperation didn't show.

"What are you doing here?" the redhead asked. The prince studied her for a second.

"You'll be pleased to know your friends evaded my guards," Phobos said. Will closed her eyes for a couple seconds and exhaled softly. At least her friends were alright. She hoped they weren't being chased all the way back to the portal. When Will opened her eyes again, she had to bite back a yelp. Phobos stood directly in front of her. He placed one hand over her heart. Will suppressed a shudder.

"You won't last much longer," Phobos said, drawing his hand back. Though she hated to admit it, Will knew he was right. She'd felt herself getting weaker and weaker, and the Heart's pulse had also been weakening. Without warning, Phobos reached out and gripped her shoulder gently.

"Why don't you just give in?" he asked in his trademark gentle, silky tone. "You're losing the fight." Both his hands moved up to cup Will's face when she tried to look away from him. Though his hold was gentle and light, the Guardian leader's bindings effectively kept her from turning her head. "It would be less painful if you gave up now." Phobos' voice was nearly a whisper. Will closed her eyes tightly to avoid gazing into his.

"Look at me," Phobos commanded, quiet yet firm. Against her wishes, Will's eyes opened. Her hold on the Heart weakened still more, and Will began to panic. I can't give it up, I can't, I can't, she kept telling herself. No good. Her panic increased.

"Don't be afraid," Phobos murmured as though she were a small child, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. Will knew he was partially hypnotizing her, trying to coax her into giving up the Heart more quickly. And, the redhead duly noted, it was working. As she tried to keep a clear head, she couldn't focus on keeping the Heart in her body.

"No," she whispered. She was surprised at how pathetic and weak she sounded. "I can't."

"Dear little Guardian," Phobos said, "you do not have a choice."

xxXXxx

"Okay, that went well," Cornelia said, pacing around the basement of the Silver Dragon.

"Well, at least now we know he's not keeping Will in the dungeon," Hay Lin said, somewhat weakly.

"What are we supposed to tell her mom?" Irma asked anxiously. "She's on a business trip right now, I know, but...,"

"If we don't get Will back in the next three days, we're in trouble," Taranee said.

"Then we'll have to keep looking until we find her," Caleb said.

"That could take forever! Phobos may not even be keeping her in the castle! Meridian isn't exactly a tiny place!" Cornelia exclaimed in frustration.

"Corny does have a point. Meridian's not a small world after all," Irma muttered, propping her elbow on a crate of tomatoes and resting her chin in her hand. Hay Lin and Taranee grinned a bit at the water guardian's joke, even if it admittedly wasn't her best.

"Oh, you may not have to search the entirety of Meridian."

Everyone jumped. Blunk, who had been sitting on the steps eating the remains of an apple turnover, fell into the trash can and ended up with the sticky pastry filling all over his face. Yan Lin walked down the steps with her usual casual demeanor.

"You Guardians are connected to the Heart. Not as strongly as Will is, of course, but the thread is there just the same. You must use this connection to find Will," Yan Lin stated.

She was met by empty stares.

"Uh, how?" Cornelia asked testily, raising an eyebrow.

Yan Lin smiled. "You will know. Hurry. Will needs your help."

"Oh, yeah! Let's move out, I.T.C.H!" Irma yelled, jumping to her feet and marching over to the bottom of the steps. "I don't know about you, but I think it's really irritating when our little redhead isn't here!"

Taranee and Hay Lin laughed and followed Irma out of the basement. A smiling Cornelia was right on their heels, a somber faced Caleb following her out the door. And following the rebel leader came a little green passling, doing his best to get his tongue to reach his forehead so as not to miss even a little bit of sweet turnover filling.

xxXXxx

Will felt like she was dying... in the middle of a desert... in a pool of hot lava. I must have a temperature of, I don't know, 104? She guessed. She was sweating like a cow at a butcher's shop. Her legs had given out ages ago, and she hung from the black vines like a rag doll. The thorns cut deeply into her skin, but the pain hardly registered in her all but numb mind. Blood ran from the wounds, down her arms, shoulders and chest, mixing with the sweat that covered her body. Her breathing was deep and ragged, and she coughed occasionally.

Suddenly a heat pooled in her chest, right next to her heart. Will glanced down and gasped when she saw the Heart shining like a tiny sun. A beautiful pink light shone from it, flowing over Will's body until it covered her from head to toe. The light seemed to sink into her, and Will felt a coolness run through her, as though fresh spring water had been poured over her. The feeling, unfortunately, didn't last. The heat of her sickness came back full force, and Will gasped in pain, her body jerking convulsively. The bright pink light flowed from her into the ghastly vines holding her up, which turned to dust moments later. With a pained moan, Will collapsed in a heap on her cell floor, her consciousness mercifully deserting her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 (5):**

Will felt unbelievably sick. When she was in first grade, she'd had such a bad case of the flu she'd had to stay home from school for two weeks. That had been lousy, but this was a hundred times worse. Her throat was so sore even breathing caused her pain; her body temperature was so high she felt like she was buried in hot coals and she was so dizzy she couldn't think straight. Every part of her ached, like she'd been running for hours on end. Full consciousness had eluded her hours ago.

Some part of Will's mind became aware that her arms had suddenly stopped being held above her head. She collapsed to her knees, in no shape to stand. Instead of hitting the floor, though, she fell onto something soft. She was flipped onto her back. Will moaned softly at the pain the movement caused. Then she was being lifted into someone's arms.

_Am I dead?_ Will thought distantly. She immediately dismissed the notion. Death probably didn't hurt this much. A searing pain shot through her chest and head and she groaned again. She heard a noise, someone talking by the sound of it, but she was in absolutely no shape to make intelligent conversation. She tried to lift her arms, move her legs, but her body wouldn't respond. At this point it was a struggle just to draw breath.

Her dizziness increased just for a moment, and then it felt as though she'd just stepped off a merry-go-round. _A portal? What?_ More voices, but just like before she couldn't make out what they were saying. She was set down on something soft. She was all but gasping for breath now. Will's head was tilted back, something cool pressing against her forehead. Her mouth was forced open and a rather vile-tasting liquid poured down her throat. Will gagged and coughed, fighting restraining arms as best she could, but she was far too weak to be effective. Finally she began to feel drowsy and relaxed despite the ache in her limbs. At least her throat was no longer so sore. With a final quiet whimper, the red head drifted into sleep.

xxXXxx

With a quiet groan, Will opened her eyes. Her vision was horrifically blurry. Blinking hard, the girl fought to sit up. When her arms proved incapable of taking her weight, she settled for lying back on the surprisingly soft pillows beneath her head.

"Where am I?" Will asked herself, voice scratchy. Her throat wasn't sore anymore, at least.

She was lying in a decidedly large and comfortable bed in a room she didn't recognize. The entire place was made of stone. Windows were set in the wall to her right and the one at the opposite end of the room. A lush-looking green carpet woven in a diamond-like pattern covered much of the floor, a nice combination with the blue silk of the bedclothes. A few tapestries shaded in blue, purple and green hung on the walls. A full-length mirror stood next to an oak wardrobe. A small wooden table lay to the left side of the bed, a vase of some herb Will didn't recognize sitting on it.

A sound to the right made the Guardian leader's head turn. She was just in time to see a door she hadn't noticed opening, and in walked a brown-haired woman wearing a simple blue cotton dress, carrying a small tray with a teapot and cup on it. A brown and red patterned bag was slung over her shoulder. She smiled at Will, her green eyes gentle.

"How are you feeling, my lady?" she asked, setting the tray down on the table beside the vase.

Will swallowed. "Terrible," she admitted.

The woman's smile widened. "That is to be expected, I suppose." She laid a hand on Will's forehead. "At least your fever has gone down a bit."

"Fever?" Will croaked as the woman knelt by the bed, lifting up a basin of water and setting it on a small stool that had been set by the table. She soaked a small white washcloth in it, then wrung it out and folded it in two, laying it on Will's forehead. Will sighed softly and her eyelids felt suddenly heavy despite herself.

"Yes. You have been horribly ill for nearly three days," the woman said, lifting up the teapot and pouring some of the steaming liquid in it into the cup. "Thankfully you were unconscious for most of it."

Will shot her a questioning look. The woman smiled. "You need to rest. I will tell you the story later, if the memory does not return to you." She held the cup to Will's lips. The redhead recoiled at the smell.

"It tastes just as bad as it smells, so it's best to get it all in one go," the woman said.

"It _smells_ like swamp water. Please don't tell me that's what it tastes like," Will muttered, wrinkling her nose and trying to push herself even further away from the offending cup. And just as she finished the last word, said cup was tilted upward and the vile-smelling liquid went sliding to the back of her mouth. And, of course, she swallowed it.

"Ugh!" Will coughed. "Ew!"

"Oh, come now, you barely had time to taste it," the woman teased, setting the cup back down.

Will directed a mock glare at her. Then it morphed into a curious expression. "Who are you?"

"I am Erima, head healer at the palace."

Will blinked. _I'm still in Meridian. I'm still a prisoner in the palace. Oh, no._ Upon realizing this, Will tried to sit up again but was pushed back down almost immediately.

"Careful," Erima cautioned. "Your fever is not completely gone, as I am certain you know. You are in no condition to go galavandering about."

"Where am I?" Will asked softly.

Erima gave her a look. "One of the palace guest rooms."

_Guest room? Why am I not in a cell?_

"Would you mind rolling up your sleeves for me, please?" Erima broke into Will's thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, what?" Will said. A smile tugged at the edges of the healer's mouth.

"I need to look at your arms," she said gently.

Will blinked before glancing down at her arms. Her eyes widened when she saw she was no longer in her Guardian outfit, but what appeared to be a white nightgown. Erima laughed at her expression.

"You went out of your Guardian form soon after you fell ill," she said. "Your Earth clothes were horribly grubby, so some of the maids changed you."

Heart skipping a beat, Will's hand went to her chest. _The Heart was still in her._

_What did that MEAN? And what did she do now?_

Swallowing thickly, Will rolled up her sleeves, revealing bandages wrapped around her arms where the thorns had held her. Erima unwound them, uncovering several superficial wounds as well as some deeper gouges. The healer hummed low in her throat, then reached into the bag she had brought with her and withdrew an earthen jar.

"What's that?" Will asked as Erima took off the lid.

"Healing salve," Erima answered. "I used a spell to prevent infection by dark magic, but in cases like this I prefer to use a salve to heal the flesh wounds."

Will discreetly bit the inside of her lip and allowed the healer to take her hand. Erima extended her arm, gently rubbing the shimmering blue salve onto Will's injuries. The Guardian leader inhaled sharply and glanced away, screwing her eyes shut.

_Holy hell! Holy hell! That stings, that stings that STINGS! _She thought. After a few moments of that burning pain, though, it felt as though her arm had been dipped in a bucket of cold water. Will visibly relaxed and Erima chuckled as she took a roll of clean bandages out of her pack and began to rewrap Will's arm.

"You're a strong little one. Most of my patients at least cry out when being treated for such injuries."

Will smiled at her, albeit tentatively. Erima returned the smile and took Will's other arm. The redhead tensed and looked away, biting her lip as Erima repeated the treatment on her other arm. She managed to keep herself from cursing just as well as last time, at least, and the soothing sensation after the initial pain was well worth it.

"Well, now," Erima said, placing the unused bandages back in her bag while Will fell back onto the pillows, feeling drained. Erima studied her for a few seconds. "Do you feel well enough to eat something? We've only managed to get broth into you so far."

"No," Will whispered, eyelids heavy. She was feeling warm again and her vision was blurring. She twitched, barely awake when Erima laid a hand on her forehead again.

"Poor child," the healer murmured. Will got the sense that she wasn't meant to hear that, but she caught it anyway. She heard the door closing as she drifted into unconsciousness, one nagging though bugging her until the moment the darkness took her.

_That voice I heard before… was __**Phobos**__ the one who brought me here?_

**Hello, everyone! Yes, I have been bad, I admit it. I know I haven't updated this story in nearly a year, but I found the beginning of this chapter buried in my computer files and have managed to kick myself into shape and begin working on it again. Reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 (6)**

When Will woke again, she still felt really sick but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been before. She coughed a couple of times as she sat up, then groaned softly because the action made her raw throat make it feel like it was on fire. The Guardian leader threw the covers off her body, shivering a bit as cold air brushed over her sweat-damp skin. Will stood on trembling legs, the nightgown covering her bare feet as she took a few steps away from the bed. She managed to make her way over to a window and stared out through the stained glass. She found herself overlooking the palace courtyard. The sky was darkening, though since it was Meridian Will couldn't tell if that was because night was falling or because of some weird magical storm or something. Knowing her relative position in the castle, the redhead began searching for a window latch. There was something on the window that resembled a latch, except Will couldn't find… well, the latch. After a few searches ended up only frustrating the girl, the Guardian leader attempted to summon up her powers.

Big mistake. The second Will felt the crystal respond to her call, her stomach heaved and she nearly collapsed, gagging. Thankfully nothing came up, but after her stomach settled a bit the girl couldn't manage to stand. The redhead groaned as her head spun and her vision swam, grasping the window ledge and pulling herself up until she was supporting most of her weight on her arms. After a few moments she took a deep breath and pushed herself upright and took a step away from the window. She managed two more before her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor, head swimming and feeling sick to her stomach again. She tried to move again, but the slightest twitch seemed to make her nauseous again.

_What happened?_ Will thought hazily. _What was I just doing? God, my head…_

The door opened just as Will collapsed completely. She managed to process the sound of footsteps making their way toward her. She groaned softly as she was rolled onto her back. Someone was speaking to her. At least she thought they were speaking to her; she couldn't discern the words. Something rested on her chest, a little above her heart, and the redhead gasped as a tingling sensation spread through her. She coughed a couple times, wincing at the pain in her chest. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into a pale face framed by long blonde hair. Phobos.

Will tried to sit up and put some distance between her and the tyrannical prince, but a searing pain shot through her chest. Phobos gripped her arms to keep her still.

"Stay down, you fool!" Phobos hissed. "You'll put yourself back in a coma!"

Will, meanwhile, was feeling warm and cold by turns. She fell back and her head would have suffered a rather painful meeting with the floor if Phobos hadn't caught her. The girl moaned softly as another throbbing headache began. She blinked hard as her vision began to swim.

"My prince?" she heard someone, presumably a guard, call from the door.

"Fetch Erima! Now!" Phobos ordered. Will flinched at the volume of his voice, then groaned softly because of the spike of pain that action produced. She felt him shift his arms so they were beneath her knees and shoulders, and then was soundly shocked when he lifted her into his arms, holding her as one would hold a glass vase. Nonetheless, she remained tense, almost gasping for breath as her captor carried her back to the bed. She relaxed somewhat when she felt the softness of the mattress beneath her, but that quickly became negligible when a pain like hot knives shot through her chest. Will flinched and gasped again, not able to find the strength to lift her arms. She felt a cool hand on her forehead.

"Shades!" Phobos hissed, drawing his hand away.

_What's that mean?_ Will wondered, mind becoming increasingly sluggish.

More noises. The door opened, someone hurried over to Will's bedside, and then Erima's ebony head popped into Will's line of sight.

"What happened?" the healer demanded, laying her hand on Will's forehead.

"I don't know. I walked in and found her lying on the floor over by the window," Phobos said, sounding a bit puzzled and… _nervous? What?_ Will thought. Then again, Erima had been kinda sharp.

"Well, that doesn't tell us anything except she shouldn't be walking around just yet," the healer muttered. "First thing's first, we have to bring her fever down or at least keep it from rising."

Blackness began to creep at the edges of Will's vision. She blinked hard, but when she opened her eyes again her vision was so blurry everything looked like part of an extremely soaked watercolor painting. She swallowed, trying to fight off her drowsiness and clear her head. Something cool and moist was placed on her forehead. It was wonderfully soothing and Will's eyes drifted closed.

_Then she was floating. Floating in a blackness that felt like water, but she could breathe in it. It was cool, calm. Will's eyes closed again. When she opened them again, she was sitting on the floor in a small room. The walls were a pale yellow, a bed with green covers sat next to the far wall. Right next to her was a small wooden chest of drawers. A lamp sat on it, emitting a weak yellow light._

_Will felt a thrill of terror when the door opened, admitting both the smell of alcohol and the large, dark, hulking figure of a man. She curled into as tight a ball as she could, squeezing her eyes shut._

"_Where have you been, you little harlot? You go out at night and don't tell nobody? What'd your mother say?" the man demands, voice harsh, grating on Will's nerves._

She'd say I was smart to get out of here_, Will thought. The man is standing over her now. No. No. NO._

_Please make it go away._

_She tries to hold it back. No such luck. She screams, more out of terror than pain, when the first blow lands. Because she knows what is coming. And she knows she cannot stop it._

Will's eyes opened as she cried out. Her body jerked. She felt hands on her arms and shrieked again, jerking away. _Where am I? What's going on?_

"Don't move so fast! You'll scare the poor thing more than she already is!" a female voice snapped. The hands immediately released her and she curled in on herself slightly, shaking with the effort of holding back her sobs. So far she was having little luck.

"Will, child, it's all right. You're safe," the woman's voice said softly, gently. "No one's going to hurt you. We just want to make you feel better. All right?"

Will's only response was to bury her face in her arms. She flinched and let out a little sob when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Instead of lifting her up and throwing her, though, the hand rubbed her in gentle, soothing motions.

"You're safe, little one. No one's going to hurt you."

The voice continued to murmur in a comforting litany until Will felt her eyelids grow heavy. She suppressed a yawn, beginning to feel herself relax. Eventually her eyes slid closed and she slipped into a peaceful, restful sleep.

xxXXxx

Phobos watched with an impassive face as Erima used a spell to send the Guardian into sleep. He had seen her injured in battle; hell, he himself had inflicted several injuries on her, but never had he ever heard her scream like she just had. Even though he'd never admit it, the raw terror embodied in that single cry had unsettled him more than many of his memories of war. He was drawn out of his thoughts when the healer moved away from the bed and began to walk toward him.

"She should be able to rest now, and the herbs I gave her will bring the fever down," Erima reported. Then, almost to herself, she muttered, "I thought she was getting better."

"As did I," Phobos answered. "Do you have any idea what may have caused this?"

"A state of emotional turmoil is the most likely," Erima responded. "You said you found her by the window?"

Phobos nodded.

"Well then, my guess is she was either trying to escape or thinking deep thoughts," Erima said. She glanced back at the sleeping girl on the bed. "She doesn't remember."

That got the prince's attention. "_Anything?_ She remembers _nothing_ of her fits?"

"No. When I came to speak to her yesterday, she didn't know where she was or how long she'd been here."

Phobos barely resisted the urge to cover his face with his hands. How in the name of Kandrakar did the girl not remember any of the past three days? He knew he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. He turned toward the door when someone knocked and saw Cedric standing there.

"Come in," he said. The snake shifter stepped forward.

"My lord, I have sent Miranda to keep Elyon occupied for the next several hours and have instructed her to keep the princess away from this wing of the castle," Cedric reported. He glanced over at the unconscious redhead. "Is she… well?"

Phobos studied the man while Erima snorted. "She is far from well, Cedric, but I hope she will not have another episode for quite some time."

Cedric nodded, eyes still on the sleeping Will. Phobos could not help noticing a certain lack of… coldness or distance in his gaze.

"Do you have any idea what is causing these fits? Perhaps figure out a way to stop them?" Phobos asked.

Erima gave him a look so intense the prince almost backed into the dresser behind him. "The only way to stop these bouts is to help her through the sickness and get rid of the residual dark magic the thorns left in her body." With this she directed an accusing look at the prince, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had come. When both Phobos and Cedric gave her puzzled looks, she sighed and tugged on a lock of her hair, biting her lip for a moment before continuing.

"I know most people do not react so strongly to the energy in the vines, Phobos, but Will is the Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar. She is more sensitive to dark power than most other beings; the fact that the Heart has taken refuge in her body makes her even more affected by it. What we are seeing can be described as an infection. The magic in her body is trying to expel the dark magic of the thorns. The fight is so intense, however, that there are physical and psychological symptoms as well as magic fluctuations. The physical symptoms are like that of a normal human illness: elevated heart rate and body temperature, sore throat, dizziness, weakness. The psychological symptoms are very intense flashbacks coupled with horrific nightmares."

"Flashbacks?" Cedric asked. Erima nodded.

"Bad magic brings bad memories, as my teacher once said. An inflection of dark magic can bring back a person's worst memories. My guess is Will's bad memories are playing a very large role in her fits and nightmares."

Cedric and Phobos glanced at each other for a moment before Phobos looked at the girl again. Her memories played a part in her nightmares. _What in the infinite realms could have happened to her that would scare her so?_ What could scare her more than lurdens, Whisperers, and a snake shifter (not to mention a fairly temperamental evil tyrant prince)?

Phobos found that he wanted to know. Perhaps more than he should.


End file.
